31.8.13

The Leveret

¡Mi liebrita! La Luna de la Liebre o la Liebre de la Luna. Las liebres son animales extremadamente sensibles, no se pueden domesticar, y en lugar de excavar madrigueras, hacen una especie de nido sobre el suelo muy bien oculto en la hierba, dando la forma de su cuerpecito, de modo que en inglés se llaman precisamente "forms", donde regresan a dormir noche tras noche.

Tea Party

Una Tea Party es celebrar en casa un encuentro de amigas para tomar el té y merendar.
Podemos servir naranjadas y limonadas caseras, tés aromáticos, infusiones de hierbas (hojas, flores, semillas, cortezas) y una jarra de agua fría con hojas de menta. También se ofrecen sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes (madalenas) y macarons (a mí personalmente no me gustan, pues su preparación incluye azúcar glass y colorantes varios; o los adapto a nuestro modo de hacer, o los descarto definitvamente. De todos modos, no me parece que en una suculenta mesa para una tea party de los animalitos del bosque o para una witch party entre brujitas sean imprescindibles estos pastelillos franceses .. aunque me gusta la mezcla de clara de huevo y harina de almendra, lo reconozco, pues me recuerda a la receta de una tarta muy famosa por la zona de Aínsa, Huesca. Mmm .. ¿cómo se llamaba? Es posible entonces que modifique la receta ;)

Hay enlaces para ideas, sugerencias y recetas en La Cocina Alternativa:
http://www.lacocinaalternativa.com/category/te-e-infusiones/
http://www.lacocinaalternativa.com/2012/06/20/como-decorar-la-mesa-para-la-hora-del-te-o-la-merienda/
http://www.lacocinaalternativa.com/2012/05/23/ya-tengo-mi-kit-para-hacer-macarons/
http://www.lacocinaalternativa.com/tag/cookies/
http://www.lacocinaalternativa.com/2012/05/09/magdalenas-de-espelta-a-la-canela-y-limon/

Creo recordar que el bloc Pipa de calabaza también es un buen sitio donde encontrar recetas e ideas muy ricas y sanitas para galletas (celebran "encuentros galleteros"), brownies y otros platos dulces y postres.

Tetera Maruzen Sakura

Taza Maruzen Sakura

30.8.13

¿Liebre Bruja o Bruja Liebre?

This gorgeous brown hare seems to be doing a sun salutation at dawn ;) in fact, this yogui hare is grooming

Brown hare (Lepus europaeus)

Nowadays the once powerful and magical hare has been reduced to the fluffy, cute Easter bunnies (far more aggressive and territorial). Easter bunnies are very different from Eostre's graceful, fey, wild-witty-witchy  hares, uh? At least in my eyes

- Slideshow of 42 photos of Brown Hare (Lepus Europaeus):
http://www.arkive.org/brown-hare/lepus-europaeus/image-A4364.html



La capacidad de mantenerse erguidas sobre las patas traseras, su grito casi humano en situaciones de estrés, el hábito de correr habitualmente en círculos y la costumbre de celebrar regularmente consejos, donde las liebres se reúnen en círculo y permanecen sentadas sobre sus extremidades inferiores, hacen que la liebre sea el animal más asociado a las brujas desde la antigüedad.
Otro detalle curioso es que las hembras se desmayan después del apareamiento; el cristianismo consideraba que tal imagen era impúdica, pecaminosa... y obra de brujas. Por supuesto, las brujas personificaban todo lo prohibido y todo lo que temían .. ¡la libertad!

¡Oooh .. polimérica!

Estaba dedicando un ratito esta mañana a mi taller autodidacta de arcilla de polímero, y después de ver un video sobre herramientas para trabajar con polimérica, encontré esto:
http://handmadeporeva.blogspot.com.es/
Mirando en la barra lateral de su bloc, encontré sus miniaturas, auténticas virguerías:
http://www.mini-escenas.blogspot.com.es/
y allí, un regalo de otra artista de la arcilla de polímero:

miniaturas para mini cocina

Su bloc es éste, concretamente el enlace al swap mágico que hicieron entre ellas, donde se pueden ver los regalos que se enviaron: http://lovejoybears.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/a-magical-swap-with-eva-perendreu.html#comment-form
para quien le gusten las miniaturas .. como podría ser el caso de mi hermana, my whimsical wicked witch :*
A mí, ni se me había ocurrido hacer miniaturas, ni ahora que lo veo siento que sea lo mío: hay algo en mí, será mi parte solar Aries, que me mueve hacia cosas .. prácticas, dentro, claro está, de la fantasía por donde navego a bordo de mi parte lunar Libra :) Por eso, aunque yo pienso en modelar otro tipo de cosas, como colgantes con significado espiritual para llevar encima, detalles para mi witchy cocina como tiestos, tarros, boles, platos .. para usar, llenar, etc., pisapapeles con diseños florales, mágicos, que sean una carga de energía para la casa donde en un lugar reposan .., sí que estas ideas y diseños en miniatura me pueden inspirar para otro tipo de modelaje, como el de las brujitas de cocina ;)

El caso es que, mirando mirando, ¡vi que la chica es de Terrassa! Y que en su bloc cuelga los anuncios para talleres de arcilla polimérica que se hacen .. ¡en Sabadell! Y mirando más, vi que es muy probable que los talleres en cuestión los imparta ella, y que sean en Sabadell porque es donde tiene físicamente su tienda Jocs.
Uhm .. interesante. Parece que es así. ¿Quién hablaba ayer de ir dando pequeños pasos, uno detrás de otro según se suceden? Pensándolo bien ahora, el camino de uno en la vida se puede ver como un collar de cuentas, un abalorio tan precioso como uno quiera que sea si las cuentitas que va insertando son hermosas miniaturas del universo condensado en un día de esa persona, sus elecciones, sus actos, sus pensamientos, las veces que sonrió .. cuentitas a cual más única, pero ensartadas en la misma naturaleza única de la persona; cuentitas que son cada cual una historia, pero enlazadas por el mismo propósito de remar, buscar, luchar, encontrar y no ceder, que anima a esa persona.
¿Y quién hablaba también de exprimir las posibilidades del entorno más cercano? (y sorberle todo su jugo) Esta misma persona en concreto.

Por cierto, estaba pensando que es curioso que quisiera ampliar mis Trabajos de Bruja al modelado de arcilla de polímero sin saber que precisa precisamente ;) .. ¡de un horno! ¿Qué sería una Casa sin un Horno? ¿Y una Bruja sin Horno? .. Estamos hablando del Fuego que mueve desde dentro el fabuloso Castillo Ambulante, y las Brujas de Cocina tenemos una relación sagrada con el Fuego, pues somos las Guardianas del Legado Ancestral que se ha forjado en él y a su alrededor, y que permanece vivo en su crepitar. Por eso mantener el fuego encendido es una de las tareas más importantes desde la Antigüedad, y el Fuego de lo Sagrado quedó al cargo de las Diosas en el cielo y de las Brujas en la Tierra. Las Hadas, que son los Antepasados de las Brujas, se quedaron en un lugar intermedio para aconsejar, recordar y musitar cosas a las Brujas en el oído que es su corazón leal y dorado y su alma hecha de fuego.

29.8.13

Los Trabajos del Alfarero

The very web on Acrylic Paints & Polymer Clay:
http://www.polymerclayweb.com/Materials/InksPaints/AcrylicPaints.aspx

Tengo una idea bastante clara de lo que quiero hacer. Más que pintar láminas o lienzos (canvas), quiero modelar y pintar mis propias piezas de alfarería (colgantes y otros abalorios, pisapapeles, brujitas de cocina, tiestos, tarros, llaveros, amuletos .. ya se me irán ocurriendo más cosas). A los Trabajos del Alfarero me llevó hacer mi propio pan en casa: ese momento de dar forma redondeada a la masa, girando girando girando .. de modo que quede una bola algo arremetida hacia abajo para que crezca mejor en el horno. Ahí decidí que quiero llevar mis manos de bruja un paso más allá, y hacer manualidades.
craft - oficio, trabajo, arte, maña, destreza
witchcraft - el Oficio de Bruja, el Trabajo de una Bruja, la Práctica del Arte
craft - create, make vtr manufacturar, loc adv hacer artesanías
Lo de modelar, tallar y esculpir arcilla de polímero ("arcilla polimérica"), y embellecerla con pintura acrílica viene de los trabajos de las artistas que más me gustan y sigo, y que venden sus artesanías en Etsy :)

"The simple beauty and joy of an ordinary day is the most precious gift of all. [...] None of this is extraordinary, at least not in the common understanding, but every moment of every day, every experience that touches my senses, every feeling that moves my soul is precious. I have always known this, that is why I chose to become a potter, why I live the life I do." Euan The Potter

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling


- Read today in EuanThe Potter, a soothing discovery through Jackie Morris Artist. Love pottery. When I shape my homemade breads with my artisan hands (do-ers) as a kitchen witch, I feel like a potter .. so much, that I inwardly call this moment of the whole process: los Trabajos del Alfarero :) in honor of: los Trabajos del Herrero en Brujería del Cerco. - Brujita de Cocina, 12 de agosto de 2013.

Lunar Animals of Spring and Dawn

The Cape Hare (Lepus capensis), the variety of hare which is the particular sacred animal of Wenet The Swift One, The Hare Goddess in Ancient Egypt, has a distinctive yellow chest and white abdomen, which may have lent something to this animals association with greeting the sun at dawn. Lepus capensis is the animal upon which the Easter Bunny is based. And the god Thoth, in his animal form, is a baboon. The baboon in nature has been documented from ancient times as patiently sitting and watching for the sun to rise over the horizon at dawn. Thoth is the scribe of the gods, credited with the invention of writing by the ancient Egyptians. Curiously, it is a hare deity in Mayan belief who invented writing.

cape hare greeting the sun at dawn

- Source:


Swift Soft Feet by Jackie Morris Artist

Acrylic Paint & Polymer Clay

Hoy vi la programación de talleres para el próximo trimestre 2013 septiembre/noviembre: Dibujo y pintura, una clase a la semana, los precios varían entre 43 euros y 58 euros. Teniendo en cuenta que mi presupuesto era de unos 30 euros, y que quería (quiero) hacer dos clases a la semana, una de dibujo-pintura, y otra de modelar arcilla .. me resulta un poco caro para poco trabajo. Mi reacción fue ponerme a mirar tutorials en internet sobre lo que más ganas tengo de hacer/aprender: acrylic paint & polymer clay pottery. Es una idea que vino a mí tras darme cuenta que las manualidades que más me gustaban en Etsy usaban siempre esta misma técnica. Ayer fue el primer día que estuve en contacto con todo el material de pintura .. Estuve en el Corte Inglés, y estuve un buen rato familiarizándome un poco con los diversos tipos de pintura (acuarela, témpera, óleo, acrílico), materiales (pinceles, paletas, cubetas, esponjas, estuches, barnices, secantes); ¡me fue muy bien fijarme en la fotografía de la caja de un estuche de regalo para pintores! allí vi que en el interior esperaba una preciosa caja grande de madera, con separaciones para los distintos tubitos de colores de pintura acrílica, una cubeta metálica para el agua, diversos pinceles con distinta numeración y una botellita de cristal que contenía algún líquido, pero que no lograba distinguir bien la etiqueta con el efecto difuminado de la foto .. Mmm .. estuve buscando por las estanterías .. ¡hasta que la vi! comparé una y otra vez las imágenes: la real, la de la botellita de vidrio donde aparecía rotulado "Charcoal ..." (que recordaba de las descripciones de los artículos de las artistas que me gustan y sigo) (¡aceite secante! Uhm .. ¡interesante!), y la de la foto difusa :) Una cosa más que había aprendido.

Ahora estoy viendo varias cosas esta mañana:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvIpr5cam6E - Beginners Acrylic Painting Tutorial
http://pinterest.com/pin/72761350202745368/ y aquí en Pinterest, descubrí esto:
http://nathaliebijoux.canalblog.com/archives/p30-10.html preciosas piezas de adorno hechas a mano en arcilla de polímero http://nathaliebijoux.canalblog.com/archives/p30-10.html


Todo es empezar. Hace tiempo que aprendí que una cosa .. lleva a otra (one thing leads no another), de modo que es siempre mejor planear una cosa y después otra, según se suceden. Y recientemente, a exprimir las posibilidades del entorno más cercano.

28.8.13

Vinagre de arroz - Tofu Teriyaki

Estaba revisando marcas de tofu, y en la página de Natursoy encontré Tofu wok: en los ingredientes, además de aceite de girasol y tamari, aparecía *vinagre de arroz. Uhm .. ¡interesante! Me puse a investigar.
El vinagre de arroz o komezu se obtiene a partir de la fermentación del almidón del arroz. El almidón se descompone en azúcares a través de un cultivo de mohos, así el sabor que proporciona este vinagre es dulzón y poco ácido. El color oscila entre casi transparente, pajizo o dorado pálido. Estamos hablando del vinagre de arroz japonés; el chino, es más fuerte, y además tiene una gama de colores que pasan por el rojo, el marrón y el negro, debido a la variedad de arroz que utilizan para la elaboración del vinagre.

Se puede sustituír el vinagre de arroz por vinagre blanco o por vinagre de manzana, ya que tienen un grado de acidez similar, y si no, preparar una decocción de vinagre de manzana y azúcar a partes iguales.

Con el vinagre de arroz se puede preparar una receta al parecer muy sabrosa, que se elabora con tofu, verduras y una contundente salsa que da nombre a la receta.

Receta para Tofu Teriyaki o Tofu con Salsa Teriyaki

*1 bloque de tofu bio natural

*fécula de maíz (maicena) o algún empanizador como harina o pan rallado
*(dientes de ajo para quien los use en su cocina)
*brócoli
*1 taza de salsa de soja o de tamari
*1 cs de mirín o vinagre de arroz
*2 cs de azúcar integral de caña o de panela

Se rebozan los cubitos de tofu en la fécula de maíz o el pan rallado hasta que queden totalmente cubiertos, y se saltean en una sartén o wok con aceite de girasol o de sésamo hasta que se doren bien. Sacar y reservar en un plato sobre papel absorbente para que escurran el exceso de aceite.

Se sofríen los ajos cortados en láminas junto a los ramilletes de brócoli previamente cocido (escaldado 5 minutos en agua hirviendo, es decir, al dente o crujiente, conservando su precioso color verde, i.e. sus propiedades). Apagar, y dejar reposar en la misma sartén.

En otra sartén, vamos a preparar la rica salsa teriyaki. Para ello, calentaremos a fuego medio la salsa de soja o el tamari, el azúcar y el mirín o vinagre de arroz. Cuando esté caliente la salsa, se incorporan los dados de tofu y el brócoli (con los ajos). Se cocinan unos pocos minutos, y se sirve. (N) También se pueden servir en el plato el tofu y las verduras, y a continuación regar con la salsa teriyaki.
A ver qué tal :)

27.8.13

Zugarramurdi

Ahora sé porqué me maravilló absolutamente el paraje natural, profunda y vastamente verde, con una luminosidad especial .. de la Comunidad Foral de Navarra (como me encantó el Pirineo Aragonés, con su increíble gama de colores y sus riachuelos a pie del camino, y lo poco y primero que conozco del Pirineo Francés, con amables montañas que se dejan caminar a pie y humedales donde perderse).
"Hay brujas en el Norte, y no hay brujas en el Sur. En el Sur no había brujas." Uhm! interesante .. Y esto, ¿qué quiere decir? Que las brujas están en los bosques, son naturales de las montañas, de la humedad y la tormenta, del agua, del aire, del fuego, de la tierra, del silencio .. los ruidos y no las voces .. la celebración y no la algarabía .. familiars de los animales .. habitantes hacendosas de las cabañas en el campo.
Lo hemos pasado muy bien en el Sur, con las risas, la fiesta, las noches iluminadas con farolas y farolillos, las palmas, el cante, el baile .. pero lo hemos pasado aún mejor en el Norte, en cabañas con paredes de piedra, bigas de madera y tejados de pizarra negra, con nuestra comida hogareña, traída de mercados tradicionales, en platitos sobre el mantel a cuadros del comedor iluminado a duras penas, con el escanciamiento .. qué risa! .. con las excursiones por el monte y caminos mágicos, con los encuentros con distintos animales .. Descubriendo otros modos de vida, nuevas formas de vida que no exigían más de lo que estamos dispuestos a ceder a cambio de lo que queremos, que es bien poquito en los tiempos que corren, donde se puede querer de todo, aspirar a todo, elegir entre tanto .. Nosotros "sólo" queremos estar tranquilos. Gracias por los ofrecimientos. Pero nunca pasó por nuestra cabeza, porque no habla de todo ello el río que corre subterráneo por nuestras venas de brujas y magos.

Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi

Zugarramurdi

Macho cabrío (Aries the Ram) es el macho de la cabra y el Carnero, el macho de la oveja, aunque ambos términos se utilizan para referirse al Carnero de las Rocosas (Ovis canadensis), también conocido como Borrego Cimarrón, Muflón de las montañas o Muflón Canadiense, "Bighorn" en inglés.

26.8.13

Vinagre de arroz - Tofu Teriyaki

Estaba revisando marcas de tofu, y en la página de Natursoy encontré Tofu wok: en los ingredientes, además de aceite de girasol y tamari, aparecía *vinagre de arroz. Uhm .. ¡interesante! Me puse a investigar.
El vinagre de arroz o komezu se obtiene a partir de la fermentación del almidón del arroz. El almidón se descompone en azúcares a través de un cultivo de mohos, así el sabor que proporciona este vinagre es dulzón y poco ácido. El color oscila entre casi transparente, pajizo o dorado pálido. Estamos hablando del vinagre de arroz japonés; el chino, es más fuerte, y además tiene una gama de colores que pasan por el rojo, el marrón y el negro, debido a la variedad de arroz que utilizan para la elaboración del vinagre.

Se puede sustituír el vinagre de arroz por vinagre blanco o por vinagre de manzana, ya que tienen un grado de acidez similar, y si no, preparar una decocción de vinagre de manzana y azúcar a partes iguales.

Con el vinagre de arroz se puede preparar una receta al parecer muy sabrosa, que se elabora con tofu, verduras y una contundente salsa que da nombre a la receta.

Receta para Tofu Teriyaki o Tofu con Salsa Teriyaki

*1 bloque de tofu bio natural
*fécula de maíz (maicena) o algún empanizador como harina o pan rallado
*(dientes de ajo para quien los use en su cocina)
*brócoli
*1 taza de salsa de soja o de tamari
*1 cs de mirín o vinagre de arroz
*2 cs de azúcar integral de caña o de panela

Se rebozan los cubitos de tofu en la fécula de maíz o el pan rallado hasta que queden totalmente cubiertos, y se saltean en una sartén o wok con aceite de girasol o de sésamo hasta que se doren bien. Sacar y reservar en un plato sobre papel absorbente para que escurran el exceso de aceite.

Se sofríen los ajos cortados en láminas junto a los ramilletes de brócoli previamente cocido (escaldado 5 minutos en agua hirviendo, es decir, al dente o crujiente, conservando su precioso color verde, i.e. sus propiedades). Apagar, y dejar reposar en la misma sartén.

En otra sartén, vamos a preparar la rica salsa teriyaki. Para ello, calentaremos a fuego medio la salsa de soja o el tamari, el azúcar y el mirín o vinagre de arroz. Cuando esté caliente la salsa, se incorporan los dados de tofu y el brócoli (con los ajos). Se cocinan unos pocos minutos, y se sirve. (N) También se pueden servir en el plato el tofu y las verduras, y a continuación regar con la salsa teriyaki.
A ver qué tal :)

21.8.13

Trickster

The Hare Illustratère: The Wise Fool's Quantum Leap

The "Trickster" figure plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. Rabbits and hares are both good and bad in trickster tales found all the way from Asia and Africa to North America. In the Panchatantra tales of India, for example, Hare is a wily trickster whose cleverness and cunning is pitted against Elephant and Lion, while in Tibetan folktales, quick-thinking Hare outwits the ruses of predatory Tiger. In Japan, the fox is the primary trickster animal, but hares too are clever, tricky characters. Usually depicted as male (whereas fox tricksters are most often female), hares in Japanese folktales tend to be crafty, clownish, mischievous figures — as opposed to fox tricksters (kitsune), who are more seductive, secretive, and dangerous. In West Africa, many tribal cultures, such as the Yoruba of Nigeria and the Wolof of Senegal, have traditional story cycles about an irrepressible hare trickster who is equal parts rascal, clown, and culture hero. In one pan–African story, the Moon sends Hare, her divine messenger, down to earth to give mankind the gift of immortality. "Tell them," she says, "that just as the Moon dies and rises again, so shall you." But Hare, in the role of trickster buffoon, manages to get the message wrong, bestowing mortality instead and bringing death to the human world. The Moon is so angry, she beats Hare with a stick, splitting his nose (as it remains today). It is Hare’s role to lead the dead to the Afterlife in penance for what he’s done.

- Source: http://www.cronemagick.com/The-Symbolism-of-Rabbits-and-Hares_c_1174.html

Crackle Mountain

Crackle Mountain (Adapted Asian Folktales)

Once upon a time there lived an old woodcutter and his wife, and their beloved pet Hare. They were poor but managed a simple and happy existance by living close to the deep forest where the old man collected wood.

Everyday the gentle woodcutter would leave food out for the Hare's breakfast before the woodcutter went off to work. One morning along came a mischievous Tanuki, who was passing though the neighbourhood. Seeing this yummy food, he fell to eating it until not a morsel remained for the Hare.

"Hey! You there! That's not for you," cried the woodcutter spying the thief. He snatched up the Tanuki, bound his legs and hung him from a high beam. Thinking that it was now late, the old man picked up his basket and hurried off into the forrest to collect the wood that kept body and soul together.

Now, this was not the kind of treatment the Tanuki was used to. Inside he was very, very mad, but Tanuki are very sneaky and so when the old woman came outside to start cooking the evening meal the crafty Tanuki, wept and sighed. The old woman was moved by his tears and with a tender heart cut the Tanuki down and freed him from his bonds. You might have thought that one would be grateful, but no! The Tanuki was as spiteful as snake's blood and to revenge himself upon the old man, he knocked the old woman on the head when her back was turned. He skinned her and cooked her up in the cooking pot!!!

When the dear old woodcutter returned there stood his beloved wife with a steaming bowl of stew ready for him on the table, yum. He was very hungry from working all day without lunch. He slurped down the very tasty stew, licked his lips and praised his wife for such a delicious meal. But to his surprise his wife's shape began to shimmer - blinking, he saw to his horror that it wasn't his wife at all, but that wretched Tanuki! Ah, what had happen to his wife? The Tanuki was laughing and pointing at the soup. "Old man," he squealed, "you ate her up, you ate your wife!" The old man reeling backwards fell from his seat and fainted into unconsciousness.

Oh, what a rotten Tanuki this was.

The Hare had come home late from a visit to his relatives and had entered the house just in time to see this monstrous scene. Hanging back in the shadows to avoid being seen, the Hare resolved to revenge his family. He followed the Tanuki for days, studying his habits and ways. And, being quite clever himself, hatched a cunning plan to become the Tanuki's traveling companion.

One day when the Tanuki had gathered on his back some firewood for cooking, the Hare secretly set it alight. The kindling cracked and popped as it started to burn. "My word!", exclaimed the Tanuki, "what's that sharp sound?" To this, "Oh!" answered the Hare, "this is called Crackle Mountain. There is always this noise here." Much comforted by his friend's explaination the Tanuki walked on, curiously listening to the hissing and crackling. All of a sudden the Tanuki's back got very hot and, "Owieeeee!!!" he yelled. His back was burning, his fur smoked and his skin was blacked and curled. The Hare had got his first taste of revenge.

The Tanuki was very badly injured and so the pair holed up for a while in a small cave. The Hare played the part of the caring friend and promised the Tanuki a special poultice that would easy his pain. The hare left for a near by village to get supplies for the poultice. When he return he was carrying a red bag ready to be applied to the raw flesh of the wounded Tanuki. Desperate to relieve his pain the Tanuki grabbed the bag out of Hare's paw and quickly layed it on his own back. "Ahooooooiiiiiieeeeee!" cried the Tanuki. The Hare had filled the bag with Cayenne pepper to trick his hated companion.

After this the Hare moved down to the seaside, which was close by the cave, until the Tanuki recovered. After many months of pain and suffering the Tanuki was well enough to leave the cave. He wandered down to the water's edge to complain to his friend for mixing up the poultice with pepper, when he noticed that Hare was building a boat. "Where are you going with that," he asked the Hare. "I'm building this boat to row to the City on the Moon." The greedy Tanuki had heard of the wounderous City on the Moon and his eyes grew feverishly round. "I too will build a boat to row to the City on the Moon." And so the Tanuki fashioned a boat for himself, however, being unskilled in carpentry as the clever Hare was, he moulded his boat out of the clay he dug from the cave.


When the boats were completed and the tide swelled with the night of the full moon, the Hare and the Tanuki lauched themselves upon the waves. The Hare pulled on his oars, and the Tanuki strained with all his muscle against the sea. Their boats shot out into the deep waters, where the loud groans of the gaint Sea Dragons could be heard in their underwater palaces. It was here, were the water was blackest, that the Tanuki's clay boat begun to break and crumble. "Help me!" pleaded the Tanuki, "Help me Friend!" But the Hare had a stern look in his eye. "Help me!" cried the Tanuki again, clawing the side of the boat trying to grab hold of Hare's oar. The Hare snatched it away and brought it down hard upon the clay boat, smashing it with a single blow. The terrified Tanuki fell backwards with a crash, and plunged into the water with the remains of his boat. The cold sea swallowed him up and his malefic spirit was chained to the bottom of the ocean by the Dragon's scaley minions.

The Hare having lost the family he loved rowed on towards the City on the Moon.

********

Tanuki is a raccoon-like dog often mistakenly referred to as a badger. The Tanuki is a trickster spirit from Japanese folklore - often mischievous but can sometimes be helpful.

Images:

1.Tanuki and Rabbit by Kita Busei (1776-1856), 1831. Woodblock print, surimomo, 20.2 x 18.2 cm. Spencer Museum of Art: William Bridges Thayer Memorial, 28.355. Taken from the book, Japanese Ghosts and Demons, ISBN 0-8076-1126-3

2. Image taken from Tales of Old Japan, A.B. Mitford, Wordworth Editions reprinting, 2000. ISBN 1-84022-510-6

3. High Footed, Moulded dish with hare, moon and waves, Nabeshima ware. Porcelain with underglaze colbalt-blue. Circa 1700-1720 CE. Height 3cm, diameter 14.5cm. The Bristish Museum, London, Franks 1292. Image from Arts of Asia (magazine) Volume 34 Number1.

Hare Meaning & Symbolism

Those of you interested in the role of rabbits and hares in literature could do worse than start off with Terri Windling’s article on The Symbolism of Rabbits and Hares.
Teatime by Terri Windling

The article on the website The Journal of Mythic Arts is beautifully illustrated, including pictures by the author as seen above,  runs over four pages and has links to books on Amazon for those looking to buy a book on hare and rabbit tales.

The hare is an emblem of many lunar goddesses such as Hecate, Freyja, and Holda. In fact, the hare is the symbol for the moon. Ever since the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., Easter has been celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon after March 21st. The Hare is a symbol of Easter for two reasons: the European Spring goddess Eostre (from whom we get the name Easter) had the head of a hare, and the date of Easter is determined by the moon whose symbolism is strongly tied to that of the hare.

In Teutonic myth, the earth and sky goddess Holda, leader of the Wild Hunt, was followed by a procession of hares bearing torches. Although she descended into a witch–like figure and boogeyman of children’s tales, she was once revered as a beautiful, powerful goddess in charge of weather phenomena. Freyja, the headstrong Norse goddess of love, sensuality, and women’s mysteries, was also served by hare attendants. She traveled with a sacred hare and boar in a chariot drawn by cats. Kaltes, the shape–shifting moon goddess of western Siberia, liked to roam the hills in the form of a hare, and was sometimes pictured in human shape wearing a headdress with hare’s ears. Ostara, the goddess of the moon, fertility, and spring in Anglo–Saxon myth, was often depicted with a hare’s head or ears, and with a white hare standing in attendance.


Also read the two beautiful pieces of writing Hare Totem and Lepus


(NA) Since ancient times, locals have reported seeing hares regularly leaping in circles .. And who else do it in circles? .. Witches! Does it empower the popular belief that witches shape-shift into hares? Bet so! ;)

19.8.13

El pequeño cuervo y la luna


*Luna del Viento (Wind Moon)
*Luna de la Semilla (Seed Moon)
*Luna de los árboles que verdean (Budding Trees Moon. Spirit Keeper of the East, happening upon or next the Spring Equinox on the twenty-first day of March)
*Luna de la Liebre (Hare Moon)
*Luna de Cuaresma (Lenten Moon)
*Luna Llena Pascual (Paschal Full Moon)
*Luna de la Urraca (Magpie Moon)
*Luna de la Corneja (Full Crow Moon)
(NA) Estos dos nombres han sido mal traducidos al español como
*Luna del Cuervo (Luna Llena del Cuervo)
*Luna de la Savia (Full Sap Moon)
*Luna de la Corteza (Full Crust Moon)
*Luna de Ostara (Moon of Ostara)
*Luna de Primavera (Spring Moon. First Full Moon of Spring)

@>-

The Paschal Full Moon

My Mangal Dosha if born on 4 April 1977: Sun in Aries (Mars. emotional nature), Moon in Libra (Venus. mental nature). Axis. Great challenge and struggle. Polar opposites. Balance. Rebirth. Creation. Fertility (creative, prolific). Intuition. Psyche. Femininity. Passivity. Perception. Receptivity (receiving hidden teachings and intuitive messages). Transition. Progression. Emotion. Time. Cycles. Wonder. Illumination. 

Associated to the Magician & Enchantress. Ceridwen and the Sacred Cauldron of Knowledge and Inspiration. The Artist (poet, potter, painter...) And remember as you keep your head in the stars, to also keep your feet on the ground.

aries sun libra moon


Northern tribes call this full moon on March 27, 2013 the Full Crow Moon as the crow’s cawing signals the end of winter. It is also called the Full Crust Moon because melting snow still freezes at night creating a crust on the ground. Last night here on the river, we had a squall pass over, followed by a brief but intense hail storm. Some call this the Full Sap Moon because it’s time when Maple trees can be tapped for their sap. And early settlers called this the Lenten Moon as it signaled the Lent would be ending and Easter would be celebrated at the next Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21).

Other names for this Full Moon include: Moon of the Winds, Moon of the Snow Blind, Magpie Moon, Sugar/Sugaring Moon, Seed Moon, Basanta Purnima (Hindu name for Spring), Medin Poya (Buddhist name for spring), and the Chaste Moon. Whatever you call this Moon, it is a powerful one, and the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, signaling a number of religious dates of significance. For Western Christian traditions, this moon signals the coming of Easter on the next Sunday following this moon.

Easter is always the first Sunday after the Full Moon which happens upon or next after the twenty-first day of March; and if the Full Moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter is the Sunday after.
http://www.aiprojects.net/library/hypertext/eastertable.html

The Paschal Full Moon can fall in March (Magpie Moon) or in April (Pink Moon) depending on the year. Following these celestial rules, we find that Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/seasons/vernal-equinox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_Full_Moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computus
http://www.tutiempo.net/en/moon/phases.htm

Libra/Aries Full Moon, Libra Full Moon, Full Moon in Libra, Lenten Moon, Vernal Full Moon, Spring Moon, Paschal Full Moon, Moon of Ostara.

http://www.space.com/19464-full-moon-names-2013.html
http://www.space.com/20407-easter-full-moon-spring.html

18.8.13

Moon in Libra Sun in Aries

My Mangal Dosha ~ born on 4 April 1977

Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra • Ascendant in Aries, Mars in the Twelfth House • Sun in the First House • Sun Conjunct Ascendant • Venus in the First House • Venus Conjunct Ascendant • Saturn in the Fifth House • Moon in the Seventh House • Moon Opposition Ascendant • Pluto Opposition Ascendant 

The report was generated with the following birth data: born on 4 April 1977 at 6:30 am in Kolhapur, India. 

Your sun sign is Aries. This is the sign in which the Sun is in your birth chart. Your Ascendant is also in Aries, and your Moon is in Libra. 

Partner references which may occur in the text are set for a relationship with a woman. Explanation 

Sun in Aries, Moon in Libra 

You were born with the Sun in Aries and the Moon in Libra. Your individuality is influenced by Aries, which gives you qualities of leadership, creativity, and enterprise, but your personality traits, which come under the influence of Libra, are the opposite of the Arian traits. 

Your image is that of a socially-minded, temperate person, easily influenced by the standards of society. Because of your sixth sense for what people want, you are one step ahead, supplying what is needed before any desire has been mentioned. 

These traits could allow you to initiate and complete projects involving large resources. But there is a running battle between the different sides of your nature. The two poles of your character exert opposing forces, causing indecision. 

As for your dual traits, the position of the Moon in Libra usually checks the aggressive tendencies of Aries. However, Aries usually has sufficient drive and dynamism to spark the more inert tendencies of Libra, the sign of equilibrium. 

The key to your success is to reconcile the force of Aries with the passiveness of Libra. 

Ascendant in Aries, Mars in the Twelfth House 

At the time of your birth the zodiacal sign of Aries was ascending in the horizon. Its ruler Mars is located in the twelfth house. 

Aries is the first sign of the zodiacal belt and its natives seem also desirous of being "first" in all activities with which they happen to be involved. The cardinality of the sign makes you extremely active and capable of displaying ambition, impulsiveness, courage, and boldness in order to satisfy your desire for prominence in the world. 

The general course of your life will be filled with many 'ups' and 'downs' and changes conforming very much with the psychological nature of your temperament. Whether you triumph or not in life depends on your ability to develop your most positive inborn qualities and, simultaneously, exert some control over your less favorable characteristics, such as a lack of prudence, and a certain disregard for the feelings and opinions of others. 

Aries gives a tendency for its natives to be inclined to politics and public work. You should be successful (or at least attempt to be so) in any work or activity that necessitates pioneering ideas and/or a militant disposition. You also appear to have an ardent attitude in any project that somehow or another involves new concepts or original work and in which you are given a position of leadership. One of your problems is that in your love for achievement in novel projects you tend to destroy old concepts and former contributions which would, perhaps, have been useful for your endeavors. Impulsive, critical, despising mean or dubious acts, you will create many excellent friendships but also important enemies. Your life is rich in passion and ardent love. In sexual matters you are quick, aggressive, and to the point. You also are a lover of pleasures, which you feel with a bright, open, and sparkling character. 

Mars, the ruler of your life events, is found in the twelfth house. This position gives the possibilities of an obscure life acting in the shadows. There are dangers of violence surging from occult or disguised enemies that act in the dark. Mars here has one advantage: at a certain point of your life it may become possible to escape from all bonds by acting dramatically, quickly and positively against the restraints imposed by your fate. 

Sun in the First House 

The Sun is in the first house. You are by nature energetic, proud and self-assertive. You project yourself enthusiastically and energetically into all situations. Your naturally outgoing disposition and personable manner usually make a good impression on people. 

Your heightened self-perception puts you in touch with a strong sense of will, and you can manipulate your will to suit your aims and desires in life. This position of the Sun gives the capacity for leadership, for you tend to attract people and to have a strong influence on them when they are with you. 

You do not like to depend on others, but you hold on to your friends, for they are usually pleased to help you when you need it. You are willing to help close friends who are deserving, but only if you know that your efforts will be appreciated. 

You often prefer to work alone. However, this is not your only choice, for you adapt well to working with people as long as you are free to express yourself. With a first-house Sun, there is a tendency to overestimate your own worth, but through repeated contacts with others you will inevitably come to a more realistic appraisal of your abilities and potential. 

Note: The Sun is technically near the end of house 12 and is therefore interpreted in house 1. 

Sun Conjunct Ascendant 

The Sun conjunct the Ascendant shows that you have a great desire for recognition and are creative in finding ways to gain attention. In general you are uncompromising. You have great faith in your ability to rise above any of life's negative circumstances. You know how to use your vast creative resources in a direct assault against any adversary, and you believe that eventually you will succeed. Most often you do, but when challenged by stiff competition you will resort to brute force to demonstrate that you do not give in without a fight. You know how to win friends and influence people, and you use this talent effectively. 

To be truly comfortable in your profession, you need to have a position of some authority over others. 

Venus in the First House 

Venus is in the first house. This is a strong position for Venus, for it adds charm to your personality and gives you an amiable and pleasant disposition. 

You concentrate a great deal on your appearance and even if you are not especially beautiful or handsome, you have a quality of softness and friendliness, which endears you to many. 

You like to keep beauty and grace around you as much as possible. You have a strong affinity with nature and prefer the quiet life of the country to the plastic constructions of city life. 

It is likely that you grew up in an atmosphere of warmth and congeniality. Now it is easy for you to project these same feelings to family and friends, and others often count on you to restore peace in difficult situations. 

You have strong inclinations toward music, art and drama and you may wish to cultivate a form of artistic expression. 

You work very hard to get along with others, and you usually try to win arguments with diplomacy rather than force. You must learn to be self-assertive when necessary and to stand up for your own rights, forcefully if need be. Otherwise, people will not have much respect for you. 

Relationships are important to you, and you often go out of your way to initiate them. It is vital that your associations remain harmonious, because quarrels and disputes affect you adversely. 

Venus Conjunct Ascendant 


Venus conjunct the Ascendant indicates that you have a personable manner and social charm, which win you the approval of everyone you deal with. This is exactly the sanction you seek, for above all, you want to be accepted. You find it easy to make whatever compromises are necessary to get what you desire. However, you may not succeed in convincing everyone that you are only acting the part of the conniver. Regardless of the image you present to observers, underneath the surface is a calculating machine on which you count the advantages and disadvantages of every association or friendship, every social contact and social function. 

You are usually well behaved and refined, but when you can not get what you want, you become extremely aggressive and demanding. 

Learn to tone down your self-seeking and spend some time developing the more substantial talents that will make you worthy of the gifts you seek. 

Saturn in the Fifth House 

Saturn was found in the fifth house at the time of your birth. Circumstances may oblige you to appear humble and patient in connection with love affairs and as a response to obstacles that will come between you and the object of your love. 

It is possible that unless you can exert good control of your temperament, the obstacles can create a response from you that is harsh and severe. You must view these matters in light of the spiritual cause and effect. 

We advise you to be very careful in business speculations and not to become involved in operations that have a risky element. 

You should make an effort to become involved with the various human experiences of love so that your communicative power is increased. You must be sincere with yourself. Secretly you nourish the desire to be involved in human situations, but you apparently have lost the ability to relate to other people. A little more openness and confidence in your loved ones could be a good course to follow. 

Moon in the Seventh House 

The Moon was found in the seventh house at the time of your birth. 


My Mangal Dosha if born on 4 April 1977: Sun in Aries (Mars. emotional nature), Moon in Libra (Venus. mental nature). Axis. Great challenge and struggle. Polar opposites. Balance. Rebirth. Creation. Fertility (creative, prolific). Intuition. Psyche. Femininity. Passivity. Perception. Receptivity (receiving hidden teachings and intuitive messages). Transition. Progression. Emotion. Time. Cycles. Wonder. Illumination. Guardian of the Otherworld (Hare) and keeper of the sacred law (Crow).

Associated to the Magician & Enchantress. The Artist (poet, potter, painter...) And remember as you keep your head in the stars, to also keep your feet on the ground.

http://espanol.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080412212548AAXK9rB

See also:
http://www.aiprojects.net/library/hypertext/eastertable.html
http://horoscopespot.net/aries-sun-libra-moon/
http://www.examiner.com/article/full-crow-moon-libra-crown-of-fire

aries sun libra moon (the Moon in Libra opposite the Sun in Aries) 

— pushing us to express ourselves with honesty and authenticity, even if it might shake up the status quo. This energy has the potential to be intense, calling us to consciously choose how we let it manifest — as confrontational or creative.

Libra Full Moon or Full Moon in Libra

the great polar opposites (polarity) struggle (chaos) is the seed (germ) of creation and life


Artemis The Maiden Goddess for Aries. Diana The Huntress.

Northern tribes call this moon, the Full Crow Moon as the crow’s cawing signals the end of winter. It is also called the Full Crust Moon because melting snow still freezes at night creating a crust on the ground. Last night here on the river, we had a squall pass over, followed by a brief but intense hail storm. Some call this the Full Sap Moon because it’s time when Maple trees can be tapped for their sap. And early settlers called this the Lenten Moon as it signaled the Lent would be ending and Easter would be celebrated at the next Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21).

Other names for this Full Moon include: Moon of the Winds, Moon of the Snow Blind, Magpie Moon, Sugar/Sugaring Moon, Seed Moon, Basanta Purnima (Hindu name for Spring), Medin Poya (Buddhist name for spring), and the Chaste Moon. Whatever you call this Moon, it is a powerful one, and the first full Moon after the Vernal Equinox, signaling a number of religious dates of significance. For Western Christian traditions, this moon signals the coming of Easter on the next Sunday following this moon.

Easter is always the first Sunday after the Full Moon which happens upon or next after the twenty-first day of March; and if the Full Moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter is the Sunday after.
http://www.aiprojects.net/library/hypertext/eastertable.html

The Paschal Full Moon can fall in March (Magpie Moon) or in April (Pink Moon) depending on the year. Following these celestial rules, we find that Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/seasons/vernal-equinox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_Full_Moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computus
http://www.tutiempo.net/en/moon/phases.htm

Libra/Aries Full Moon, Libra Full Moon, Full Moon in Libra, Lenten Moon, Vernal Full Moon, Spring Moon, Paschal Full Moon, Easter's Full Moon, Ostara Moon, Hare Moon.

http://www.space.com/19464-full-moon-names-2013.html
http://www.space.com/20407-easter-full-moon-spring.html


- Final considerations:
http://mrsdarleyspaganwhispers.blogspot.com.es/2013/04/the-seed-moon.html (the moon following the first moon after the vernal/spring equinox)